Instrument for determining relative levels



Oct. 21, 1952 J, wlSNEY 2,614,572

INSTRUMENT FOR DETERMINING RELATIVE LEVELS- Filed March 12, 1949 I 1 ncL -------q 10 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 21, 1952 INSTRUMENT FOR DETERMINING 1 RELATIVE LEVELSJoseph John Wisney, Adrian, Mich. v Application March 12, 1949, SerialNo. 81,070-

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to instruments for determining relativelevels; and has amon its objects the provision of means for measuringthe comparative levels or height of two surfaces. 7 Another object ismean by which the relative height of .two surfaces may-beascertaineddirectly and accurately Whether they are adjacent each other.or more orless widely separated. 7

Another object is means by which such relative heights may be measuredwithout reference to a base line orsurface. I

7 Still other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilledin the art upon reference to the following description and theaccompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of thedevice.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the units with parts in section.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the valved upper end of suchunit.

Fig. 4 is a section on line l-' l of Fig. 3'.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 2.

As indicated in the drawing, the device con sists essentially of twosubstantially identical units connected. by a flexible conduit andcontaining a suitable quantity of a suitable liquid.

Each of these units consists of a transparent cylindrical vesselconsisting of a transparent tube of glass or other suitable materialmounted on a bottom member H provided witha downwardly opening socket HAin which fits a pin NB, the other end of which fits in a similarupwardly opening socket HC formed on a base member HD. Bottom member His preferably square. v

The upper end of tube It isclosed by means of a suitable preferablysquare cap 12 having a central opening I2A, and on three sides of thesquare cap 52 and bottom member i i, plates A serve to protect the tubeiii, which is preferably clamped between the two members by means of thelongitudinally extending rods HJB passing through the corner portions.

The three plates HJA extend well above the cap 12 and these togetherwith a fourth plate 0C provide for a chamber it above the cap l2, theupper wall of the chamber being the lower face of a plug member it fixedbetween the plates IDA and H and provided with a central axial openingor passage l lA.

The upper end of the plug it presents a curved surface MC flaringoutward and upward from the axial opening MA, while a suitable cap platel5 covers the upper ends of the plates MA and IOC and fixes the positionof plug M by means of suitable screws E5A.fl lateifi isalsolprovidedwith a vent IEBQ Mountedin .thefaxial: opening; 141A of'plug i4 isa.plunger it, this being of such lengthaslto extend from the bottomiaceof the plugto the beginning of the flared surface MC. "This plungeri6 is, as shownlin Fig. 4, fluted. to provide. for the easy flow ofuairbetweenchamb'er'it and the chamber between the plug M and plate 15, andis held in place by means of a pin or screw ISA extending throughthefplug i4 and into a vertically arrangedivslot' IEB, theslot beingjofsufiicient length to permit a small vertical movement of the plunger l6.

Fixed to the bottom face of plug it around the opening MA is a cagemember I! in whichlies a ball HA of a diameter somewhat larger than thatof opening I 4A and adapted, when moved upwardly, to act as a valvetherefor to close the same. Supporting the ball HA is a plurality offlat springs I B fixed to the cage 1 i and extending under the ball.

Loosely enclosed in chamber (3 is a float 20 and loosely enclosed in thechamber I5C above plug 14 is a second ball 21. This second ball shouldbe of such Weight that when the float is resting on cap I2 and thereforenot exertin an upwardly thrust on ball HA, the plunger it will be moveddownwardly to move the ball "A away from the opening MA. These partsshould also be so proportioned that inflow of liquid to chamber 53through opening i2A will cause the float to lift ball HA, plunger 16 andball 2 I, and close the opening MA.

Fixed to the bottom member II and extendin axially upward within tube H]to near the top is a suitable rod 30 provided with suitable graduations.Member H is also provided with a suitable passage 3i opening to thespace within the tube In and extending to the outside and opening intoasuitable valve or stopcock 32, to the other-side of which is attachedthe flexible conduit 33 extending to and connected with a similar valve33 on the other unit. Both units are, as stated above, substantiallyidentical.

In preparing the device for use, a suitable liquid will be put into thetubes I0 and conduit 33 in sufiicient quantity to fill the device toabout half the height of rods 30 when the two units are standing uponthe same level surface. When this has been done, if one unit is removedto a surface of a different height, the relative heights of the twosurfaces may be determined directly from the graduations on the rods 30since the liquid will fiow from the higher to the lower unit. If the twosurfaces differ in height more than half the height or length of rods30, the pin H B of the lower unit may have substituted for it anotherpin of known greater length so as to compensate for the limited movementof the liquid surface.

It is of course obvious that the common axis of pin 1 lB, rod 30 andtube 10 should be accurately perpendicular to the plane of the bottomface of base IID. It is also obvious that more than two units may b usedif it is desired to determine the relative heights of more than twosurfaces.

By providing a valve structure such as that shown in Figs. 3 and 4,provision is made against loss of liquid due t elevating one unit toohigh or due to a units assuming a horizontal position through accidentor otherwise.

When one unit is elevated sufficiently to cause the other to more thanfill, such excess liquid causes the float 20 to rise and force the ball"A upwardly and close the opening MA. On the overflow of said liquid,said closure including a allow said spring means to close said valve,said float, upon admission of sufficient fluid to said chamber to liftit to its uppermost position, contacting said spring means and enablingthe latter to close the valve.

JOSEPH JOHN WISN'EY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 124,389 Rohrer Mar. 5, 1872397,294 Karr Feb. 5, 1889 1,247,855 Mapel Nov. 27, 1917 2,065,783Woodbridg Dec. 29, 1936 2,113,454 Mitchell Apr. 5, 1938 2,232,279 SnyderFeb. 18, 1947 2,438,758 Leach Mar. 30, 1948 Wallace Nov. 30, 1948

